Author: Ian Hunter

I retired from the energy business in 2014 and started writing poetry. At first I shared my writing with family and friends. Then I set myself a challenge to write a poem every day for a year. After meeting that goal I just kept going and started this blog in 2021. I hope you enjoy reading my poems. Remember happiness is just a state of mind and poetry is great nourishment.

Wedding Celebration Reading

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Today’s the day, the moment is here

Abby and Addison—we’re all full of cheer!

Soon the I do’s and promises will be said

A brand-new adventure for them lies ahead

Now Addison’s other passion is something ever so cool

Football, AKA soccer and his team is the mighty Liverpool

“Come on you reds” is the song he sings like a vow

So Abby you must learn to sing along with him now

While Abby may smile at his game-day obsession

She knows that his heart is her true possession

Because love, like football, takes teamwork, passion and great insight

And if you play really well you might get lucky and score every night

But marriage is a lot more than a 90 minute game

Its a lifelong match without a referee to blame

Together they’ll enjoy what marriage may bring

like dirty dishes, financial decisions, and watching Mo Salah running down the wing

They’ll dance through the highs, laugh off the lows

build a strong team where the victory grows

Now marriage is not just one single shining day

it’s cheering each other in every good or bad play

Please remember this day with affection and pride

Stay loyal to each other and never drift offside

So here’s to the Wests—forever the best

may love be their anthem, their cheer, their quest

Listen to the roar from your wedding fan zone

They’re singing “Addison and Abby”

“You’ll never walk alone! ”

Country life

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English countryside

East Sussex

Rolling hills

Green fields

Windy roads

Tall hedges

Tiny villages

Local pub

Warm beer

Pub lunch

Good banter

Friendly people

Slow pace

Afternoon stroll

Sunny intervals

Dark clouds

Passing shower

No shelter

Soaking wet

Trudge home

Warm fire

Dry clothes

Feeling hungry

Heading out

Pub food

Fried cod

French fries

Warm beer

Country life

Ideas

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Ideas arrive like small sparks

Not enough to light a fire

But bright enough to to distract you

Some cling to the edges of your thoughts

Thin as spider webs

Trembling with the weight of expectation

Others stagger around aimlessly and fall into oblivion

Ideas do not come with a manual or a tool kit to finish the build

They do not explain themselves

They press against your silence

Asking to be acknowledged

Not seeking approval

Simply wanting recognition

Left untouched they will fade away

Leaving a feint trace

A memory of what might have been

Embraced ideas will sometimes flourish

Especially if you develop them with a passion

Occasionally emerging from the sea of your imagination onto the dry land of reality

Waiting patiently for that inevitable question at a dinner party

And where are you from?

Replying

I was just an idea before

old rockers never stop rockin

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I saw ZZTOP in concert yesterday

my sixth time of seeing them live

the original band members now in their mid seventies

Still sporting long beards and outrageous outfits

most of the 3,000 people in the audience were of similar vintage

the band still play a mixture of southern hard rock and boogie

playing a gruelling 51 shows in their 2025 Elevation tour

celebrating 51 years of playing live music to their fans

they certainly don’t act like tired old men on stage

I can remember so well discovering their music in the late 70’s

I have carried it music with me through good and bad times

every song they played last night brought back razor sharp memories

taking ZZTOP albums to late night boozy college parties

driving my young kids around while playing ZZTOP very loud in the car

loud ZZTOP headphone weekend therapy escaping the stresses of corporate life

mopping while rocking to ZZTOP to liven up boring house chores

wild nights seeing ZZTOP play at packed venues

this was my sixth time seeing them play live

their music is still buzzing in my ears

Thank you ZZTOP for all the fun times

ROCK ON!

The beauty of the Cape

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Cape Cod

Here lies the peaceful Cape

Gulls cry in the salty air

Light dances silver on restless waves

Time slows to the rhythm of the tides

A beauty both wild and gentle

Endles as the horizon

A silent dawn spills gold over the bay

Sturdy dunes protect secluded bays from the mighty Atlantic ocean

Rising whales create rare transient mountains in the sea

A lighthouse keeps its patient watch

Brave fishermen venture out into the ocean

Tourists bask on sandy beaches

Yachtsmen fill their sails with Atlantic gusts

Cottages weathered by wind and salt stand proud

Cedar shake roofs are a welcome perch for resting gulls

The skies of the Cape are wide enough to carry your biggest dreams

How to spoil a walk

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….. With balls

The ball is so small, the hole is so far

You swing so hard that you see a star

It hooks, it slices, dives in sand—

Not quite the shot that you had planned

Yet still you smile, though skills are rough

But chasing balls is half the stuff

A perfect drive? A dream you so often recall

But golf is just walking, spoiled with a ball

The earth is getting fatter

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I saw a meteor shower last night

bright fireballs tumbling low in the sky

it was an awesome sight to behold

the Perseus meteor shower is an annual event

remnants of and old comet hurling chunks of rocks at the earth

like kids throwing pebbles into a lake

scientists say we get 17,000 meteorites a year

that’s a lot of space dust added to all the rocks we already have on earth

the earth is steadily getting fatter day by day

time to put our planet on a diet and exercise plan

otherwise we will spin out of control

a program of rock carrying rocket launches is needed

hurling some of our rocks back into space

like the lake throwing pebbles back towards those kids

its the only way to achieve net zero in stabilizing the mass of our planet

Cycling with a data screen

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I rode my bike today

A 35 mile ride alongside fields of corn in the eastern shore

I rode with four other experienced local riders in a pace line

With a slight tailwind we rolled along at 20mph on a beautiful Friday morning

Occasionally we sprinted at 25mph

Its very rewarding to train in a group and chat along the way

Camaraderie is priceless and it makes for a fun workout

Upon returning home I hit the “end of ride” button on the bike computer

It responded by telling me it was a high intensity workout and that I should recover over 36 hours

I cleaned up my bike and hung it on the wall like a piece of art

Its carbon fiber frame is ultra light and very strong

Sensors monitor my speed, heart rate, cadence and power

The bike computer automatically uploaded the ride into an App called Strava

Soon I was pouring over the recorded ride data

Comparing my speed, heart rate and power exertion to similar training rides

My times on specific segments showed I was trending faster

A deeper analysis from AI in the App gave me more detailed fitness analysis

My phone has become my personal trainer

It even congratulates me when I train hard

My thoughts wandered back to my first bike back in the 60’s

A heavy steel frame with no bike computer

The only data collection was the time on my watch

Training intensity was measured by the post ride aches in my legs

I had no trainer back then, real or virtual, but I still enjoyed riding

Today my ride analysis even tells me how much carbon I saved the planet by cycling

I often ponder if my riding is more enjoyable because of the added data

A few days ago I found the answer to this question

My bike computer shut down at the start of a ride because I forgot to charge it

I had to ride 35 miles blind with no data screen

Guessing my speed and selecting my gears by feel rather than data

I had no idea if I was exceeding my maximum allowed heart rate

It was basically like a pilot flying without any instruments

I felt robbed of data when I got home

Until I realized that my Apple Watch had silently captured my ride

Surprise surprise when I uploaded the data from my watch

I had ridden faster than usual and my heart rate was not excessive

Maybe I should take more breaks from riding with a data screen

let there be light

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he woke up early

she was still sleeping

the room was completely dark

he tried to go back to sleep

but his mind was racing

dark thoughts filled his head

they refused to go away

eventually dawn came

he went outside as the sun rose

he only saw long dark shadows

the bright sunlight was too much for him

he preferred a darkened room inside

she woke up happy and smiling

she detected his fake happiness despite the long kiss

vowing to rescue him from the dark side

she made breakfast as cool jazz music played

he hid under the covers a while longer

she dragged the covers off and hugged him

pulling him into the light for breakfast

he complained that the toast was burned

she knew he was only looking at a few dark spots

they had breakfast in silence

they both knew this was not sustainable

she told him they were at a crossroads

he took a shower with his eyes closed tight

got dressed with his eyes squinting

reluctantly venturing outside to join her on the patio in full sun

hiding his pain behind thick dark sunglasses

its time to come over to the light side she proclaimed

leave the dark side behind

he surrendered saying tell me what to do

just sit in the chair and relax she replied

she tied him tightly to the chair with soft rope

his eyes were tightly closed

say hello to Mr Sun she whispered as she took off his shades

he slowly opened his eyes and squinted

the sky was deep blue with fluffy white clouds

the grass was emerald green

bright vibrant flowers hugged the edge of the lawn

he pulled lightly on his restraints

slowly he became accustomed to the bright light

he stopped looking for shadows

she untied him and they embraced

her kiss filled his body with bright light

no more darkness in his thoughts

they spent the entire day outside in the bright light

a bike ride along the river bank

laying in a meadow

smooching in the afternoon sun

he felt warm and invigorated

they ate dinner outside in the late evening

he became anxious at sunset

afraid of the dark

she put on all the lights in the house

soon it was bedtime

he was anxious about sleeping

the darkness might reinvade his mind

she gave him a shot of whiskey as they retired

he closed is eyes and awaited the dark demons to attack

they never arrived

his dreams were full of bright lights

no more dark thoughts

When a butterfly flaps its wings

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rain drops

bountiful crops

floods prevail

crops fail

sun shines

grapes wine

sun bakes

desert makes

wind blows

oxygen flows

wind roars

damage occurs

politician sneezes

stockmarket freezes

dictator talks

investors balk

terrorists attack

markets crash

Profits galore

Markets soar

wife fertile

husband’s smile

new dawn

baby born

butterfly flits

life exists

butterfly tires

plant transpires

butterfly dies

sad goodbyes